The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-10-22
A sMuooLER.s MUSEUM.

"A . M E M V 9E V ms
 At Scotland Yard, says the 4St. JameS' Gazette, there is an almost unknown museum full of the signifi- cant and sometimes ghastly objects which have aided in the commission of great crime. Probably the police of most great capitals have made similar collections ot the most curious aids to smuggling-hollow cheeses, boxes with f,lse bottoms, and the like which have been seized in the possess ion of persons of undoubted ingenuity but of shaky honesty. In Paris there is a similar but probably much more interesting museum; since the exist ence of the octroi duties which are levied upon a great variety of articles induces good many people who in other regards are probably honest enough to endeavor to defraud the revenue. Here are kept some scores of the most clever devices of profess ional or amateur smugglers which have from time to time been seized at the barriers of the city or at the cus- tom houses throughout the country. Most of them are exceedingly ingen- ious, and some are indeed of nature to suggest that in France even snug glers possess esprit.
 What appears at g casual glance to be block of Carrara marble is really a painted sheet iron box. It arrived at the frontier in a tram from Italy, along with five similar ones. A curious depression upon one of these blocks aroused the suspicion of a doundier, and upon examination the trick was discovered. The boxes were l filled with ballast to make them heavy, and at the bottom of each lay ,000 pounds worth of Venetian lace. A pile of innocent looking logs of 1 firewood, such as are burned in Paris, were found to be hollow metal tubes, covered with the bark of trees and | filled with dutiable liquors. Proba- bly only an officer who possessed long familiarity with the ways of snug glers would suspect pile of four dozen ordinary soup plates. Here is such pile. There is nothing in the least suspicious about the top and bottom dozens, but the twenty four plates in the middle form one deep vessel with two dozen projecting rims and when the adroit little arrange ment was seized this vessel was full of contraband brandy. A coffin dis patched from Marseilles and bearing railway label has curious history. During the epidemic of cholera at | Fo collins were constantly passing the barriers of that city and the officers respectfully uncovered as another coffined victim of the pestilence was solemnly wheeled past on handcart. The fear of infection lulled their sus- picions perhaps, but when the cholera was stamped out and still the collins did not diminish in number, 1t was resolved to pluck out the heart of the mystery. The next coffin that ar rived was opened, and was found to be crammed with choice cigars.
 Perhaps the moat daring scheme for cheating the Parisian city chest, of which the museum contains evidence, was elaborated by gentleman who was in the habit of driving his elegant victoria every evening past the bar rier at the entrance to the Bois de Boulogne. He was always accom- panied by smart groom, who slumbered peacefully upon the box while his master drove. Shortly af- ter erwards-sufficiently long to allow the gentleman to make the regulation tour du lac-the carriage would re- turn; and the official became so &C., customed to its passage that they ceased to examine It, and the owner drove back into Paris at smart trot, courteously returning their saluta- tions with his whip. That smart trot was his undoing. One evening the victoria ran into heavy wagon and master and groom were thrown out. Monsieur was picked up insensible, while from a deep wound in the head of the groom slowly trickled A stream of champagne. The interesting me- nial was composed of zinc dextrously fashioned and painted; and he has ,ound resting place in his smug- gler's museum. The carriage was found to contain zinc "well," which was likewise full of champagne. India rubber dress improvers, ar- ranged to conceal articles of contra band, have often been seized, while not the least curious exhibit is an India rubber baby capable of contain ing eighteen pints of untaxed liquor. A Parvenu (The coming aristo-